Detachable cover for pneumatic tires.



No. 65|,743. Patented lune l2, I900.

T. & w. CALDWELL. DETACHABLE CUVEB FUR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

(Application filed July 18, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

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5 EHWOYM m. 65!,743. v Patented lune, l2, I900.

T. & w. CALDWELL.

DETACHABLE COVER FOR'PNEUMATIC TIBES..

(Application filed July 18, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shoat 2.

wt vwfisses v V n juuemtmcs MM fitmmex s 'No. 65l,743. Patented. June I2, 1900.

T. & w. CALDWELL.

DETAGHABLE COVER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

'\(Application 'flled July 18, 1898.) A (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Patented June l2, I900.

T.- & WQCALDWELL. DETACHABLE COVER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

, (Application filed July 18, 1898.) (No Model.) l 4 Sheets$heet 4 Fig.4?

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Wfinessas 9 ms PETERS co ITE STATES PATENT OFF CE.

THOMASOALDWELL, OF BOLTON, AND WILLIAM CALDWELL, OF LEIGH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE RADAX PNEU MATIO TYRE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF WARRINGTON, ENGLAND.

DETACHABLE COVER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 651,743, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed July 18, 1898. Serial No. 686,2 98. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS CALDWELL, cycle agent, residing at 137 Blackburn road, Bolton, and WILLIAM OALDwELL,cotton-mi1l manager, residing at Vicarage Square, Leigh, in the county of Lancaster,'England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented an Improved Detachable Cover for Pneumatic Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object improvements in or relating to detachable covers for pneumatic tires and is designed to produce a cover which when the tire is inflated will firmly hold onto and remain on a wheel-rim of any suitable concavity without any side wires or thickened edges or parts to lock or connectedly engage into the rimin fact,without add 'ing any holding-on devices at all.

Our present invention is as follows: First of all we employ a textile fabric (advantageously a woven cotton cloth or canvas of sufficient strength and resilience) formed in any suitable manner and by any suitable means somewhat V-shaped or U-shaped in cross-section and also curved (as to its length) of or about the radius of the tire to be made, such shaped fabric being woven or produced in any suitable mannerfor instance, by weaving in the manner and by the means set forth in the specification of another application for Letters Patent which we are filing concurrently herewith-and this speciallyformed fabric we now proceed to stretch, advantageously in a circular direction, as hereinafter described, or otherwise treat same so as to take all stretch out of the fabric or to take so much of the stretch out'as to answer our purpose, although we consider that the more stretch taken out of the fabricz'. e, the more we render the fabric incapable of or difficult of further stretching the better, and this severe stretching operation or other method of taking out the'stretch should be effected before rubbering such fabric or finally forming the tire-cover.

In order that our invention may be easily understood and readily carried into practice, we will proceed to fully describe same with reference to the drawings hereunto annexed, in whicl1" Figure 1 shows a short length of the selfshaped fabric, Fig. 2 being a cross-sectional view thereof on line 2 :2, Fig. 1, and Fig 3 a similar view showing the shape in cross-section which said fabric assumes when in use. Fig. 4 is a side View, and Fig. 5 an edge view, of an expanding-mandrel or apparatus suitable for stretching the aforesaid fabric as in a circular direction, such apparatus consisting of a strong radial frame a, each said radial arm at having guided therein or thereon the sliding guide-rods b, the upper ends b whereof are screw-threaded and pass freely through eyes in the overhanging ends a of a plate 0, fixed on the outer end of each arm a,

and by screwing a nut d (winged or otherwise) on each said screw b3, as shown, thereby the said guide-rods b can be moved radially and slide through the eyelets a on the frame a, by which latter and the ends 0' of the plate 0 said rods b are guided. From each said rod 1) an arm I) extends laterally and carries cross-arms 12 which latter are connected at b rigidly to the quadrant 6, four quadrants being thus mounted on each side of the frame a to thus form two separate and independent, expanding-mandrels, each quadrant-piece e having hinged thereto at f a metal flap f, which latter serves to bridge over the'gaps formed between the ends of the quadrants e as the latter are drawn apart when the mandrel is expanded. Figs. 6 to 9 show another mandrel or apparatus-viz., a collapsible mandrel-upon' which the cover is finally built up and finished, and the mandrel can then be collapsed in order to enable the now-finished cover to be removed from said mandrel, Fig. 6 showing the mandrel rigid Zandof fixed diameter ready for the fabric to ,be' lapped around same. 'Fig. '7 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 8 is "a cross-sectional view on line 8 8, Fig. 6. Fig. 9is a similar view to Fig. 6, showing the mandrel collapsed.

h hare twosi milar segments of a circle the circumferential edges whereof are of 'a con} vexity or shape in cross-section corresponding to the shape it is desired the coversliould assume and of a radius" equal to the radius or the cover to be made thereoli.

'i and j are stretcher-boards arranged on opposite sides of the segmental pieces h and provided with clamping-screws 70, passing right through same,'as' shown in Fig. 8, with winged nuts Z onsaid screws.

m is a'centralaperture on which the man:

drel can be m ounted on a pin or spindle, so as to be free to revolve while in use.

n isa removableseg'ment attached to the fected by lapping the fabric one or more times around a circular expansible apparatus or expandingmandrel-such, for instance, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings hereunto annexed and having secured the ends of the fabric we then expand the mandrel or apparatus by any suitable means, and

thereby the fabric w is stretched in a circulardirection, and having thus stretched same we may-now wet the fabric while thus stretched, the shrinkage consequent on the wetting being prevented owing to the fabric being alof the finishedcover.

For instance, to make a cover for a twentyeight-inch wheel we havefouud in practice that with a piece of fabric woven, as aforesaid, to make a cover such fabric will stretch until said cloth measures some twelve inches longer, as follows, viz: We lap such fabric on an expandingmandrel twenty-six and one half inches outside diameter "and expand same, with the fabric lapped thereon, to

twenty-nine and one -halfinches outside diameter, and we then take off said fabric from the expanding-mandrel and wind same around a collapsible mandrel twenty-seven and threefourths inches indiameter to allow one-eighth inch all around for rubber to thus make twenty-eight-inch outside diameter of said .coverfora twenty-eight-inch tire, although we would here state that it is desirable in' stretching the fabric for a cover the operation should be started at such a diameter as shall leave the fabric when fully stretched of thesame radius as that of the making-up mandrel, (hereinafter referred to,) so as to obviate any'puckering or slackness on the edge Having thus stretched the fabric as and for the. purposes stated,

we then lap said fabric a: once, twice, or more (according to the character of the cover desired) around avcollapsible mandrel, such as that shown in Figs. 6110 9, and having now permanently secured the ends. of said fabric in any suitable manner we proceed to ready stretched tightly on the expanding-mandrel, or, if desired, before lapping the fabric on the expanding-mandrel, as described, it may advantageously be wetted and then put on the mandrel, such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the stretch being got out of the fabric very readily in this. manner.

Instead of expanding the fabric, as above,

described, we may lap it on a suitable fixed mandrel of or about the diameter of the wheel for which it is designed and subject it to the treatment known as mercerizing or to a mercerizing liquid, or the fabric may first be stretched on the expanding-mandrel before mentioned and while so stretched subjected certained by feeling or testing the edges of the fabric while on the aforesaid mandrel or.

may be ascertained in or by any other suitable manner or means.

The fabric is stretched or has the stretch taken outthereof to such a degree that when in use the pressure of the air-tube will be insufficient to blow olf the cover, which by reason of its inherent cross-sectional curvature and its inextensibility is capable of withstanding the pressure of the air in the tube even under riding compression.

rubber same or make up saidfabric into the finished cover in any desired or suitable manner, advantageousl'yin the following manner:

a, surface for the final separately manufactured and vulcanized circleof', rubber to adhere to, and this molded strip or ring may have projections on it or be ribbed or corruvgatedor'otherwise suitably formed to prevent side slip. The'mounting of said fabric on said collapsible mandrel while same is rubbered or otherwise treated having the efiect of preventing the rubbering causing any shrinkage or, alteration in said fabric, and jwhentthe cover is finished (and. dry or set) the mandrel is collapsed, (for instance, as described with reference to Figs. 6'to9, or any other suitable apparatnsmay be used-for this purpose,) and this enables the cover to be re moved from said mandrel, and said cover is now ready for use. r

The cover is. made tofitclosely within the groove or channel in. any suitable concave rim and of v a size which will just allow it to be put on (forced Over) said rim, and an ordinary or any suitable air-tube is placed-inside said cover and theninfiated, and it will be found that owing to the character and structure of the cover manufactured as aforesaid same cannot be forced off the rim either by inflation or use when inflated.

We may, if desired, form a cover out of this :stretched fabric without any rubbering, 850.,

or,if desired,we may form non-slipping covers of a single thickness of thin canvas, formed and stretched according to our present invention, to fit over our aforesaid covers or any other pneumatic tire (tube-tire, tubeless tire, or tire with inner air-tube and detachable outer cover) to which same may be applicable simply for use as a non-slipping surface.

What we claim is- 1 A tire-cover for pneumatic tires, composed of an endless band of fabric woven with a cross sectional curvature approximately that of the finished tire, and being open along its interior circumference, said band being permanently deprived of its extensibility and rubbered, substantially as described.

2. A tire-cover for pneumatic tires, composed of an endless band of fabric woven with a cross-sectional curvature approximately that of the finished tire, and being open. along the whole of its interior circumference, the edges of said band being permanently deprived of their extensibility by being stretched so as to resist the pressure of the inner tube and to cling to the rim by reason of their inherent rigidity, the, said band being rubbered, substantially as described.

3. A curved woven fabric, woven to the radius and cross-section of the tire and ren-.

dered so far inextensible by stretching in a circular direction that the same when rubbered and made up will form a cover which will fix itself securely on the rim on inflation.

4. A detachable cover for pneumatic tires formed from a curved woven fabric, woven to the radius of the tire from which fabric the longitudinal elasticity has been permanently removed by stretching in a circular direction so as to render said fabric so farinextensible that the same when rubbered and made up will form a cover which under inflation will hold itself securely on the rim.

5. A detachable cover for pneumatic tires made from a curved woven fabric from which the longitudinal elasticity has been removed by stretching in such wise and to such an extent that such cover will under inflation fix and hold itself upon the rim of the wheel with out the addition of any holding-0n devices.

THOMAS CALDWELL. WILLIAM CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

E. JAMES HALL, JOHN W. THOMAS. 

